A Broken Happily Ever After
by haydenisheaven2000
Summary: Life's main goal is to show us that not everything is butterflies and rainbows. Sometimes, happily ever after comes after the downfall. Jake and Rachel oneshot!


**A/N: This follows my previous one shot, A Broken Hearted Fairytale. It is another pure Jake/Rachel fic. You may want to read it first, though it isn't essential. The basic premise of the last story was Jake and Rachel meeting, falling in love and marrying. It was mostly fluff. This one has more angst. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own OTH or it's characters. I do however own the plot and any new characters. **

* * *

A soft, golden light poured into the room through the snow white curtains. Two bodies lay wrapped in each other's arms on a queen sized bed. The door of the room slowly began to push open and tiny feet crept quietly across the wooden floor. Another set followed, but it lacked the grace the previous possessed. 

A little girl with light brown hair looked at the little boy next to her. Holding up the fingers on her right hand, she began a silent countdown.

One…the boy wiggled in excitement.

Two…a slight giggle escaped his soft lips and his hand flew to his mouth.

Three!!!

The two charged and jumped heavily onto the bed. The two figures wrapped in sheets yelped in surprise as they were jarred from their peaceful slumber. Breaking apart they turned quickly both being met by one of the children.

"Jenny? Ryan? Guys, what are you doing in here at," Jake took a moment to glance at the bedside clock, "8:15 on a Saturday morning?"

"We made breakfast, Daddy!" The three year old boy's voice became more excited as each word left his mouth.

Rachel shot a nervous and frightened look before they both threw back their blankets and bolted towards the stairs. The two children shared mischievous grins as they turned to follow their parents.

Rachel and Jake pushed through the saloon style antique doors and into the spacious kitchen. Taking a deep breath, they surveyed the room. Everything seemed to be in perfect order.

"Guys, I thought you said you made breakfast?"

Ryan gave him a cheeky smile and moved closer to Jake. "I wanted to, Daddy, but Jen says that if we waked you up…then you'd make it. That was easier." The boy nodded as if it made perfect sense. "Pwease Daddy!!! We're starved!"

Rachel jumped in from here. "So, you two," She shot a look at Jenny, "did all this because you wanted breakfast?" Both children gave their mother a nod. "You know that waking us up wasn't very nice right?" Their eyes traveled to their feet but they nodded nonetheless. "Well, pancakes do sound really good right now."

Ryan giggled as he realized they'd won this battle. "Yea! I wuv you mommy!" He wrapped his tiny arms around her knees.

"Hey!" Jake pulled the small boy off of his wife. "What about me? Don't I get some love?" He brought his fingers to the boy's little body and began to tickle furiously.

Ryan wiggled around in his dad's arms as high pitched laughs consumed him. "Daddy! Stop!!! No more!"

"Say it, Ry!"

"I love you, Daddy!" Jake let the boy go as he ran towards his mother. "Tickle Monster!! Save us Mommy!" The little boy slid behind her legs as Jenny followed suit.

"Okay, my children…both tall and small." Rachel looked from Jake to Jenny to Ryan. "Play nice. Now, Mr. Jagielski…would you be willing to get us some pancake mix from the supermarket? We'll make it worth it."

Jake looked at all three faces in the room. All had perfected the Jagielski family pout.

"Now how could I resist that? I just gotta change."

Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. "Now what would I do without you?" she whispered.

"Crash and burn." He pulled her lips in for another, more passionate kiss.

"Ewww!" Ryan and Jenny let out simultaneous protests.

"What is up with little children and our kisses?"

Jake shrugged and laughed before kissing her one final time before turning up the stairs to get dressed.

Ten minutes later he was on his way out the door. "Love you!" He called behind him only to be met with a 'love you more.'

Six years together and they still loved each other as much, if not more, as they did when they first met.

* * *

Rachel glanced nervously at the clock. Jake had been gone for three hours. It was now way past the time for pancakes. 

He wasn't answering his cell and that just increased her worry. Something was wrong…she felt it. Her husband had done some stupid pranks in the past but he'd never do something like this. He'd call her.

She'd already called Lucas and his wife, Peyton. Both hadn't seen him, but promised that they were leaving to go drive around town to look.

The phone rang and she immediately pounced on it.

"Jake? Sweetie…is that you?" The voice she was greeted with was not the one she'd been hoping for but it was familiar.

"Rach?"

"Luke? Did you…" A million questions ran through her mind. What had he found? Why did he sound so upset?

"Rachel…I'm on Main Street. There's been…an accident. Peyton's on the way to pick you up." Lucas continued to talk about random things. All her scattered brain could pick up were random words. Stoplight. Drunk driver. Crash. Hospital. It's bad. Every single word sent her world into pieces like glass splattering onto tile.

Oh god, she really was going to crash and burn.

* * *

In a record breaking time of six minutes, Peyton was outside the door holding her two year old son, Jordan in her arms. Lucas' little brother, Michael stood at her side. "Rach? You ready, sweetheart?" 

She numbly nodded. Jenny was holding onto Ryan's hand as Peyton led them to her mini van. She led Rachel to the passenger seat before buckling Jordan in his car seat and running to Rachel's SUV to grab Ryan's.

As they drove down the road, a silence threatened to break them all. Ryan was in a complete state of shock while Jenny spent the entire time staring out the window crying. Rachel spent the drive playing with her hands as tears tried to fall.

The twenty minute drive took all of 12 minutes and 26 seconds, but to Rachel it seemed like an eternity. This was her fault. If she'd just told the kids that she'd make eggs, Jake would be at home. With his goofy grins and lame jokes. If he wasn't fine…she didn't know what she'd do.

* * *

Four hours, 28 Minutes and 17 Seconds. 

Jake had been in surgery for that long. Her friends and family had come and gone. Haley and Nathan had stopped in to take Jordan, Michael, Jenny and Ryan to their house with a promise to Jenny that they'd come back as soon as she could see her dad.

Brooke had called from her home in California where she lived with her husband. Chris Keller. Yes, Brooke had fallen for him and she couldn't help but love his egotistical ways. Lucas and Peyton had stayed by her side the entire time.

Lucas had come in the waiting room hysterical. He'd seen the accident scene and he'd seen the vehicles. She'd faintly remembered asking him to show her. He'd flat out refused and told her that he wouldn't let her leave the hospital if that was where she was headed. Instead she'd broken down and he'd gathered her in his arms.

Over the past few years, she'd really dedicated a soft spot in her heart to Lucas Scott and his wife. If there was anyone else besides Jake she'd want here. It would be them.

* * *

Five hours, 47 minutes and 29 seconds. 

A doctor came out dressed in scrubs and a surgical mask handing loosely from his neck. "Jagielski family?"

She was on her feet before her mind could register what was going on. Her legs were practically running towards the man. "How's my husband?"

The man took a deep breath and spoke in a tone mixed with sympathy and optimism. "Jake is still unconscious." He tried to ignore the woman's downcast face. "We're confident that he'll wake soon though. His left arm is broken in two places and he'll be sore for a long while. Your husband is very lucky, Mrs. Jagielski, he definitely has one heck of a guardian angel looking out for him."

Rachel shot the man a giant smile as she let the news consume her. Jake would be okay…he'd be okay. "Can I see him?"

"Yes, Ma'am. We're currently moving him into a room, so in about five minutes a nurse will come and get you."

The young woman nodded and suppressed the urge to hug the man standing before her.

* * *

Eight hours, 32 minutes and 21 seconds. 

Her husband was bruised and cut up. His arm was plastered and his face seemed ghostly pale against the stark white sheets. But all Rachel could think about was how happy she was to her his loud breathing and see his chest rise and fall.

Jenny and Ryan had went with 'Uncle Lucas and Aunt Peyton' to get cafeteria food to feed their empty stomachs. She however just asked them to bring her something. There was no way she was leaving Jake's side in the sake of food.

Oh, how had this day gone from completely amazing to chaos? Just this morning she'd watched him playing tickle monster and now she watched him sleep unwillingly. Giving up, she pressed her head into Jake's side and let the tears fall.

She felt a hand run the top of her head. Looking up with confused eyes, she turned towards the young man laying in the bed. "Jake?"

She heard a faint groan as she stood to her feet. "Honey? Can you hear me? Sweetie if you can hear me squeeze my hand. She lifted hers into his and held down the shriek she wanted to let out as she felt his hand press into hers.

Tears filled her eyes as she rubbed her fingers over his eyes. "Come back to me, Jake. I need you…open your eyes, Jake. Open your eyes."

Slowly his eyelids fluttered but remained closed. "That's it, Babe. You can do it. We need you…you're the one that keeps our family together. Fight for me, Jake. C'mon hun, you can do this."

As if by magic his eyes came open as he met hers in a daze. "Water."

She gave a firm nod as she poured a glass and held it up to his coarse lips. He drank heartedly and held up his right hand to stroke her cheek.

"Hey sweetie, I missed you."

Rachel kissed his lips as she once again fought back tears. He opened his arm as she fell into his embrace and finally let herself truly go. "Never scare me like that, again. No more pancakes." She let out a light chuckle. "I love you Jake."

"You too, princess."

She pulled away to look at him strangely. "Princess?"

He nodded softly. "Every fairytale has a Prince, Princess, and a happily ever after. You and our life are mine. This is my fairytale and you're the beautiful princess."

Rachel laughed through her tears and she gently took his face and captured his lips in hers. "I'll always be part of that fairytale. Forever and ever, babe."

* * *

**Please review, guys. I'd love to know what you think.**


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